Doctoral Dissertation Research: Grammar of Kurripako-Ehe Dialect

University Of Arizona, Tucson AZ

Investigators

Abstract

Under the direction of Dr. Jane Hill, Ms. Tania Granadillo will collect and analyze linguistic data for her doctoral dissertation. Her research concerns the Ehe dialect of Kurripako, an endangered Arawakan language spoken in Venezuela with approximately 2,000 speakers. Two main methods will be used to collect data: direct elicitation of words and sentences through interviews with native speakers, and audio-recording of naturally occurring speech. The texts collected will be chosen to represent a variety of the social and cultural contexts in which Ehe is currently being used. On the basis of this material, Granadillo will describe and analyze the lexical, phonological and grammatical features of the language. The resulting grammatical descriptions will be aimed at a scientific audience, including sociolinguists and anthropologists. But they will be accessible to teachers developing pedagogical materials. The recordings will constitute a sound archive that will provide a documentary record of the Ehe language and its use. Copies of both the grammar and the archive will be left with the Ehe community and are expected to contribute to plans by community leaders to develop a revised practical orthography of the dialect, and produce materials to teach their language to future generations.